Chapter 98: Extra One

Love is not a necessity in life, but a luxury.

Song Chao flipped through the gold-embossed invitation in his hand, his long, fair fingers tracing the handwritten signature on it. With a scoff, he tossed the invitation aside. It flipped over and lightly fell to the ground.

He opened his computer. The screen was filled with articles about Heng Tai's newly developed game, how it had taken the female gaming community by storm, and discussions about how the gaming industry should not discriminate against women, with many urging game companies to learn from Heng Tai and respect women, and so on.

It was nothing more than using the guise of "respect for women" to promote their game.

By chance, he clicked on an interview video. In it, Yuan Yi appeared with elegance and charm, personally admitting that the intention behind developing this game was to give it as a gift to his fiancée, as he saw many admirable qualities in women through her. That's why he created this empowering game for women.

Listening to Yuan Yi praise women's virtues in the video, Song Chao became somewhat impatient. As he was about to close the video, he noticed the camera shift, and suddenly, Yan Xi's figure appeared on screen. His finger paused, and he didn't click the mouse.

"Miss Yan, are you satisfied with the gift Mr. Yuan gave you?"

The woman surrounded by numerous flashing lights and cameras, wearing a suit and a work ID badge, looked as if she had just finished work when she was approached by reporters. With a smile in her eyes, she said, "The polite answer is that I'm very satisfied, but the truth is, I haven't even started playing the game yet. But how the gift is doesn't matter; what matters is the thought behind it, and I am very happy with that."

The barrage of comments on the video went wild, with messages like "Hahaha," "Never seen such an honest girlfriend," and "Because of this honesty, I have to try playing the game," flooding the screen, nearly obscuring her face.

Song Chao closed the barrage and leaned back in his chair, lazily watching the woman on the screen. Unfortunately, the interview video was very short and finished quickly. He grasped the mouse, but before he could move it, his secretary knocked and entered.

"President Song, Mr. Song Ci said he wants to see you." The secretary glanced at the invitation lying on the floor, quickly averting his eyes. Everyone in the company knew about the past between the boss and Heng Tai's president's fiancée, but unfortunately, it seemed that one side had dreams, while the other was indifferent. This had once attracted a lot of public attention. Now that Heng Tai's president was about to marry his fiancée and had delivered the invitation in person, it wasn't surprising that the boss had such a big reaction.

"Don't see him." Song Chao closed the video, adjusted his glasses, and said coldly, "This company is not his home. If he does this again, I'll call security."

"I just worry about what outsiders will say..."

"Do you think people haven't already been gossiping about our Song family?" Song Chao raised his head and looked at the secretary, his eyes devoid of warmth. "Do I need to teach you again?"

"I... I understand." The secretary trembled, quickly exiting the office and shutting the door behind him. The tension in his heart didn't lessen much. Recently, Song Group had started exploring new fields, with mixed reviews from the outside. However, regardless of the outcome, the boss had taken the opportunity to consolidate power in the company, pushing out or demoting employees with familial connections, to the point where even the boss's parents' attempts to intervene were futile.

Some people said that the boss had never been valued by the Song family. He had gone abroad at eighteen and stayed overseas for nine years before returning. After taking control of the family business, he started to take revenge on those relatives who had treated him poorly. Some even claimed that it was the boss who caused Old Song's death in the hospital and that he had arranged the accident that left Song Ci with a limp.

Just as she was thinking, a figure suddenly rushed toward her from behind. Before she could react, the person had already passed her and pushed open the boss's office door. She was startled and reached out to stop them, only to realize that it was Song Ci, the person who had been stopped downstairs earlier. He limped with one leg, but surprisingly, his speed was still fast.

"Mr. Song Ci, it's working hours. Please don't..."

"Get out!" Song Ci pushed her aside and rushed toward Song Chao, sweeping the computer off the desk. The computer sparked a few times, and the secretary was so scared that she almost screamed. She took out her phone, preparing to call security, but Song Chao took off his glasses and said coldly, "Close the door."

Looking at the boss's long, beautiful eyes, the secretary was somewhat dazed. She closed the door and scanned the room for any suitable weapon, but aside from a flower pot she couldn't move, there were only her high heels at her feet.

"Song Ci, I remember you don't have any position in the company," Song Chao said, removing his suit jacket and unbuttoning his shirt. "What is it you need from me?"

"Song Chao, did you tamper with the investment I made?!" Song Ci's eyes were bloodshot, his appearance wild, with his suit wrinkled, as if it hadn't been taken care of for a long time. He bent down and grabbed Song Chao's shirt front. "Do you want to ruin the entire Song family just to satisfy yourself?"

Song Chao pushed Song Ci away, straightening his wrinkled shirt, and said slowly, "Cousin, have you forgotten that the project I invested in was sabotaged by people you deliberately arranged, causing me to suffer huge losses?" He stepped over the edge of the desk and walked to Song Ci. "Business has its ups and downs, you know. It's not good for you to get so agitated."

"Fuck you, bastard, don't think I don't know your dirty tricks," Song Ci spat, his voice hoarse from excitement. "Aren't you afraid of retribution for doing things like this?"

Song Chao laughed lightly and suddenly reached out to grab Song Ci by the neck, pinning him to the ground. "Retribution? If bad deeds really had retribution, the Song family would have been wiped out and bankrupt a long time ago, but look at you—you're still alive and well."

Surprised by Song Chao's sudden move, Song Ci struggled painfully to break free from his grip, but Song Chao's strength was overwhelming. He couldn't budge. In that moment, he thought he might be killed by Song Chao. Half-closing his eyes, he looked at the smiling but twisted expression on Song Chao's face and began to fear. Was he really going to die here today?

"Waste!" Seeing the fear and despair in Song Ci's eyes, Song Chao suddenly laughed out loud and released his grip on Song Ci's neck. "Song Ci, you should look in the mirror and see what kind of person you've become."

Song Ci covered his neck, looking at Song Chao with terror, as if seeing a madman.

"Tch." Song Chao looked at his already irreparably injured leg. "Go home and stay there. Don't run around; don't make the other leg a problem too. Understand?"

Song Ci shivered, feeling a chill all over his body as if someone had splashed him with cold water.

"Secretary." Song Chao put his glasses back on, turned to the secretary, who was huddled in the corner, and said, "Call security and have Mr. Song Ci escorted out."

"Y-yes, of course." The secretary, breaking into a cold sweat, quickly nodded and exited the office. The boss had been terrifying just now.

The office grew silent. Song Ci, hoarse, muttered, "Song Chao, we'll see how long you can keep this up."

Song Chao raised an eyebrow, elegantly buttoning his shirt cuffs, turning and putting on his suit jacket, once again transforming into the refined, gentle man he always was. "What does that have to do with you?"

Noticing the invitation on the floor, Song Ci suddenly smiled with satisfaction. "Song Chao, no matter how many tricks you have, it doesn't matter. The woman you like is still going to marry a man better than you. There will always be things in this life that you can never have!"

"Get out!" Song Chao narrowed his eyes, his emotions flickering briefly before they disappeared into nothing.

Song Ci dared not continue arguing with Song Chao. He feared that Song Chao might go mad and kill him. He turned and walked out of the office, glancing at the security guards rushing toward him. With a dark expression, he angrily shouted, "What kind of dog dares to stop me? Get the hell out of my way!"

The security guards did not dare to act against Song Ci, and though they were scolded, they could only endure it. No matter how much the media reported on the infighting within the Song family, they were still all surnamed Song, and what were they—outsiders—compared to that?

"Bah!" Song Ci turned his head and spat at the office door. Cursing loudly, he walked away under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

Song Chao watched the security guards standing outside, peeking in, and frowned. "Go back to your posts."

Once the security and secretary left, he stared at the invitation on the floor for a long time. After a while, he walked over, bent down, and picked it up.

The wedding of Yuan Yi and Yan Xi was very grand. Although neither of them was from the entertainment industry, their wedding received just as much attention. The venue, the designer who made the wedding dress, its cost, the guests they invited—all of these became the focus of media attention.

Some media outlets, unable to dig up any real gossip, simply turned to interview employees of Hengtai or individuals who had been interviewed by Yan Xi in the past, hoping to hear their opinions on the newlyweds. Unfortunately, they found no scandal. Everyone they interviewed had nothing but blessings to offer, and the reporters had no choice but to cobble together a report.

It seemed as if overnight, the entire world was blessing the newlyweds. Of course, there were those who, at this moment, deliberately brought up news about Song Chao, such as his investments in films and his sponsorship of a charity foundation. Not a single word was mentioned about his past entanglements with Yan Xi, but everyone, at this juncture, couldn't help but remember him as the loser in this love chase.

After attending a meeting that day, Song Chao was followed by a reporter who suddenly appeared, asking, "Mr. Song, will you be attending Miss Yan Xi's wedding?"

Song Chao ignored him, but the reporter persisted, and other media followed behind with their cameras.

"Mr. Song, do you have any blessings or words for Miss Yan Xi?"

"Mr. Song..."

Song Chao stopped walking, glanced at the reporter who asked first, and said, "For a friend's wedding, I will definitely attend. As for the blessings, it's best to say them in front of the couple to show sincerity. Sorry, I have another meeting to attend. Excuse me."

His bodyguards pushed the reporters aside, protecting Song Chao as he got into the car.

The reporters watched regretfully as Song Chao drove away, wishing they could have asked a few more questions.

Three days later, the reporter who had asked the first question lost the job he had just been promoted to, due to a breach of professional ethics.

In fact, since last year, when Song Chao and Yan Xi shared a coffee, rumors began to spread. However, they hadn't met privately again. On the rare occasions they did meet, they never spoke to each other.

Song Chao hadn't expected to see Yan Xi again, and in such a humiliating way.

Yan Xi was wearing an elegant long dress, but her actions were far from graceful. She was running out of a restaurant with a middle-aged man carrying a camera. Behind them, a few men, looking fierce and menacing, were chasing after them, shouting and cursing.

"Stop the car," Song Chao ordered the driver. As Yan Xi was about to be caught, he opened the car door and called to her and the middle-aged man, "Get in."

Yan Xi glanced at the burly men behind her, then at Song Chao. She turned to Zhao Peng and said, "Zhao Ge, let's get in the car."

After Yan Xi got into the car and was still catching her breath, Song Chao raised an eyebrow and said, "Miss Yan, your job is quite interesting. Are you racing with someone?"

"Thank you, Mr. Song. I'm sorry for making you laugh at us," Yan Xi panted, wiping sweat from her forehead. "If it weren't for you today, we might have gotten beaten up."

"I thought Miss Yan was about to become the boss's wife of Hengtai. I didn't expect you'd still be risking your life for this kind of job," Song Chao said with a faint smile. "Seems like I underestimated your courage."

"This time it was just bad luck. After shooting some footage with Zhao Ge, we just randomly picked a restaurant to eat. Who knew the people at the next table said we were filming them? They reacted so violently, I thought something was off, so we ran and called the police," Yan Xi said, her throat burning with pain. "The last time I was this helpless, I was being chased by dogs."

Song Chao glanced at the camera on Zhao Peng's shoulder. The people chasing them probably had something to hide, which explained their sensitivity to the presence of someone with a camera.

He didn't understand why a girl like Yan Xi would still run around for a show. Now that she had Yuan Yi supporting her, she could do any show she wanted. Why choose one that was so exhausting and troublesome?

Though... the show she hosted did have some appeal.

He wanted to ask, but felt he wasn't in a position to do so. So, aside from handing two bottles of water to Yan Xi and the middle-aged man, he didn't say anything else. There wasn't much they could talk about.

"Thank you," Yan Xi said, taking the water but not drinking it. She lowered her head and sent a message to Yuan Yi, then told Song Chao, "Just stop up ahead."

"Is Yuan Yi coming to pick you up?"

"Yes."

Song Chao smiled but didn't ask any further questions. When they reached the place Yan Xi had mentioned, he instructed the driver to stop, and let her get out.

"Yan Xi," he suddenly spoke up, "Have you really never considered changing your wedding partner?"

"I prefer a man who loves me and doesn't use my family to threaten me. Mr. Song, we're not suited for each other," the woman said, smiling politely as she stepped out of the car.

"Alright," Song Chao raised his hand in a gesture of invitation.

"Goodbye, and thank you for your help this time," Yan Xi nodded at him before turning and walking away.

Song Chao watched her and the middle-aged man walk to the tree across the street, then saw a car stop in front of them. Yuan Yi stepped out of the car.

The two of them held hands, talking intimately with each other.

Suddenly, Song Chao felt inexplicably disgusted. He turned to the driver and said, "Let's go."

Love, to him, was something optional.

He neither coveted it nor cared about it.